


The Roommate (A Gentlemen's Arrangement Remix)

by Isabear



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Getting Together, Gluttony Remix, M/M, POV Elyan, Remix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-18
Updated: 2014-10-18
Packaged: 2018-02-21 14:54:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2472311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isabear/pseuds/Isabear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>It's kind of awful and kind of wonderful, and Elyan has no idea what to do about any of it.</em>
</p>
<p>Elyan rooms with his crush for his senior year. It goes well for about 2 days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Roommate (A Gentlemen's Arrangement Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [samyazaz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/samyazaz/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Pact](https://archiveofourown.org/works/477896) by [samyazaz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/samyazaz/pseuds/samyazaz). 



The terrible thing about rooming with your crush, Elyan thinks, is that you're never apart. There's none of the forgetfulness that distance brings, and there are plenty of opportunities to find more little quirks that make him feel a rush of warmth, followed by a cold wash of embarrassment and an internal voice saying _stupid, stupid_.

Happily, the best thing about rooming with your crush is that sometimes that voice is drowned out by Merlin talking while he brushes his teeth, or dancing awkwardly to bad music, or staggering around with bed-head in the morning while he tries to find his notebooks.

It's kind of awful and kind of wonderful, and Elyan has no idea what to do about any of it.

It doesn't help that he often dreams about Merlin, his bright grin, ridiculous ears, and long-fingered hands trembling just a little as they trail over Elyan's skin. He wakes up hard sometimes, mortified, wishing he'd put his name in the lottery for a single instead of subjecting himself to this waking nightmare. 

Merlin, sleepy and bumbling in the mornings, never seems to notice. Elyan pretends to be a late riser (he's not) and stays curled up in bed around his aching stiffie until Merlin has ducked out of the room. Only then does he crawl out of bed, shame-faced, and do his best to get to class on time.

 

"You should tell him," Gwen says. 

They're in the back corner of the library - the section with the giant scoop chairs that are all too easy to fall asleep in - and they technically ought not to be talking, but no one actually follows that rule. At this moment, Elyan wishes they did. Gwen's interest is solid, he knows - Merlin's her best guy friend, and she introduced him and Elyan in the first place. But really, he doesn't need someone telling him what he definitely wants to do but can't.

"Can't," he mumbles, echoing his own thoughts, and Gwen seems to hear the rest of the unspoken sentence instinctively. She sighs and squeezes his hand.

"I don't mean to push. I shouldn't. But I know Merlin, I know his dear, silly face, and I think you need to consider how fast he agreed to room with you this year even though you're seniors and could probably have gotten singles." She sighs and tugs at one curl, always a sign of frustration. "You're both so insecure it drives me mad some days."

Gwen believes in happy endings. Elyan thinks this is probably about as happy as he's going to get.

He's wrong.

 

Three weeks into the most terribly and wonderful experience of his life, Elyan thinks he's getting pretty good at not showing how he feels. He practices keeping his voice light, his body language relaxed. He practices directing his eyes to neutral places. He leaves a careful distance between his body and Merlin's when they sit on his bed together to watch movies. (Worst. Idea. Ever.) He is, if he says so himself, pretty good at this hiding a crush thing.

Of course, Gwen's words from the first week still rattle around in his brain sometimes, mostly when he notices Merlin staring from across the room, or when Merlin sits next to him and vibrates, almost like he can barely hold himself still. Merlin tends to startle if Elyan touches him, so Elyan keeps the touches to a minimum. He tries, in short, to be the perfect friend-not-boyfriend.

If sometimes he's a little bitter about how good he is at it, if sometimes he feels like he almost goes away from himself when he's too invested in the moment to really process what's happening, well.

He only wants what's best for Merlin, after all.

 

At first, he doesn't know it's a dream.

They're out on the grass behind the dorm, out of view from every window except the frosted glass of the communal loos. Elyan has a book in his lap, but the words seem to dance on the page. He's not reading anyway.

Merlin is laughing, softly, that sound that comes out when he's startled with delight. Elyan feels his insides swoop even as he peers up through his eyelashes to watch Merlin straddle a tree branch and swing his legs. Merlin is watching the birds dance higher up in the tree. Merlin is watching the sky with rapt fascination. Merlin is watching everything but Elyan, who is the only one watching Merlin himself.

The book on his lap is now camouflage in more ways than one.

The world tilts oddly for a moment, and the sky shifts color. Blinking, Elyan watches in horror as Merlin twists on the branch, his face contorting as his arms flail. And then Elyan's standing under him, arms stretched up, ready to catch.

At this point, if he weren't so terrified for Merlin, he'd realize something wasn't right. But his mind is stuck on the scrape of Merlin's shirt against the bark, the flailing of two sneaker-clad feet.

"Merlin!" he shouts, as if somehow that will make things better.

Merlin pauses in his flailing and looks down. Their eyes meet for a moment, and then Merlin smiles.

And lets go.

Elyan's _oomph_ is solid as he lands on his back with 160 pounds of lanky elbow and knee on top of him, warm and wiggling. He can feel himself stiffening up again, after he'd softened in his worry, and now he's just hoping Merlin gets off him quick enough that he can find his book again.

Instead, Merlin pauses, then flops down fully on Elyan.

Elyan groans and throws an arm over his eyes.

"Elyan?" Merlin asks, and Elyan really doesn't want to talk, doesn't want to-

"Um, is that me, did I-?"

Eyan's face heats, his whole body heats, and he can't tell if it's lust or mortification, but probably both. Why is this his life? 

But Merlin's still talking. "Because I...."

And then Elyan feels it. A hard length pressed against his hip.

" _Merlin_ ," he breathes.

"Um, mate, are you alright? Just, you keep saying my name and all, and. Oh. Oh, you're still asleep. Um."

Elyan blinks awake.

He's in his bed, not on the grass. What he thought was a tree root digging into his back is in fact his economics textbook. The hardness against his hip is his phone, still in his pocket. It's evening, he's in his dorm room, and he fell asleep on top of the blankets.

Merlin is standing over him, looking confused and vaguely cheerful, as always.

Elyan's first thought is to be grateful Merlin isn't hurt, because his dream terror is still very much an echo in his hind-brain, telling him to check, make sure Merlin's okay. Elyan skims with his eyes, because he's pretty sure he shouldn't put his hands all over Merlin right now. Probably. Maybe.

He might, possibly, not be fully awake and functioning yet.

Merlin watches him quietly, not flinching away from Elyan's flickering gaze. When Elyan meets his eyes again, Merlin looks nervous.

"I," Merlin pauses, licks his lips. Elyan watches his tongue in rapt fascination. "I don't know if this is a good time. You still seem half asleep."

Elyan blinks at him, unsure how to respond to that.

"And maybe you were just dreaming, and nobody's responsible for their dreams."

Elyan begins to feel a vague, distant sense of alarm.

"But I was wondering if, maybe, you might want to get a cup of coffee sometime? Or, um. We do that already. But with more, maybe, kissing after?"

Elyan's brain shuts down.

When it comes back online, he finds one arm braced on the bed to prop himself up into Merlin's space, the fingers of his other hand threaded through the short hairs on the back of Merlin's neck. His lips are on Merlin's soft, soft lips, and Merlin is making a squeak of surprise, then surging forward, pushing Elyan back against the bed again, lips crushed together.

Elyan doesn't tell Gwen any of this later, but he has a feeling Merlin tells her the whole thing.

 

Two months later, they've finally worked through most of their awkwardness and made a pact to help Merlin take control of his anxieties by only taking off one new item of clothing each night, and only if Merlin wants to. (They spend a week making out shirtless, and that was fine, more than fine, it was amazing.) Oddly, the pact is helping Elyan as well. He never knew how much he worried about pushing Merlin too far until he put all the pushing into Merlin's hands and saw Merlin's relief.

The sex is warm and sweet and sometimes awkward, and thinking about it leaves Elyan with all the warm rushes in his chest and none of the cold backlash.

They're sitting in their shared room on a cool December evening, already dark at half past five with the wind shaking the trees outside, but no snow yet. Merlin is cuddled up against Elyan while they read, which is pretty much Elyan's second favorite thing now.

Merlin's head twists against his shoulder, tipping back so he can catch Elyan's eye. Elyan raises an eyebrow and shuts his book. 

"I know you and Gwen are going home for the holidays," Merlin starts, and Elyan feels like he's in another of those roller coaster moments, where his belly swoops and he's almost outside himself with nerves. He knows he freezes slightly, because Merlin's face twists and he rushes on.

"I know, I know, I just was wondering if, maybe around New Year's, maybe you might, you might want-"

Elyan takes a deep breath to center himself, rests a hand on Merlin's knee. Touching Merlin grounds him, reminds him this is real.

"What would you like?" he asks quietly, trying to sound open to anything. Because he is. He really is.

"-tocomemeetmymum," Merlin mumbles all in a rush, chin dipping down.

Elyan freezes, just for a moment, and then he can't seem to stop his arms from wrapping around Merlin's waist and pulling him in so tight, so tight. Merlin squeaks slightly, but he lays his hands on Elyan's arms and holds on.

"I'd love that," Elyan whispers, throat thick and voice rasping.

Merlin's soft, surprised laugh of delight is the most beautiful sound he's ever heard.

 

"Whatever you do, she's going to love you," Merlin promised. "I talk about you so much she keeps saying she feels like she already knows you."

Elyan swallows his butterflies and tries to smile. "It's fine, just a bit anxious."

"You look like the first time I kissed you," Merlin says, "like you're terrified out of your mind."

"I kissed you the first time," Elyan corrects automatically.

"Did you?" Merlin's quizzical look is interrupted by the train announcement. "Oh! This is us, come on."

They grab their bags, and Elyan only has a brief moment to wonder if Ms Emrys is going to be upset that he stole Merlin for Christmas before they're stepping off the train and into the station.

He wishes it were crowded, but it's the 27th and mid-week. There's hardly anyone here. He doesn't even get a chance to wonder which of the three people waiting for the train is Merlin's mum, since she launches herself at him immediately.

There are hugs, and then there are Emrys hugs. Elyan had thought it was a Merlin trait, the tendency to wrap another human up like a burrito and squeeze, not letting go until they need oxygen. But no, it's clear he got it from his mum.

Elyan watches awkwardly for a moment, then glances around the station, trying not to seem too obviously uncomfortable. The hug goes on for something like two minutes, but it feels like hours. When it's done, Merlin's ears are red and he's grinning so wide Elyan isn't sure how he doesn't break his face.

Then Ms Emrys turns, looks Elyan up and down from head to toe, and opens her arms.

Elyan's response to that gesture is pretty well instinctive at this point.

The hug feels even longer from this end, though the awkwardness of it fades with time as he slowly relaxes into the obvious affection. It's unconditional, he realizes. That's what he loves about Merlin, that both of their nerves aside, Merlin's affections are about who Elyan is as a person, on the inside, and they don't require Elyan to be anyone else. Ms Emrys, it seems, agrees with her son. Elyan is enough. He's enough by himself.

He absolutely does not get a little teary-eyed. And if he did, no one would know, because he's fine by the time they pull back and Ms Emrys smiles up at him, gentle and pleased.

"Thanks for taking care of Merlin," she says, quietly.

Elyan wholeheartedly replies, "He takes care of me, too."

 

"Okay, spill," Elena demands, pointing at Elyan with her spoon.

He's not sure how this happened, but somehow Morgana appeared about thirty minutes ago and peeled Merlin out from under Elyan's arm as they crossed the ice-slick green together, on their way back to their room. Before Elyan could even object, a whole gaggle of their mutual friends had appeared, surrounding him and hustling him off to the dessert shoppe on the edge of campus.

Gwen is conspicuously absent, as are Freya, Lancelot, and Will. Elyan suspects Merlin is currently surrounded by his own little mob of people nominally referred to as "friends".

He gives Elena the stinkeye, and Gwaine laughs.

"C'mon mate, tell all. I hear Ms Emrys bakes a fabulous ham." Gwaine waggles his eyebrows, like he's not referring to ham at all. Elyan doesn't want to know.

"Don't bother him," Percival says quietly. "It's their business."

Elena mock glares. "Excuse me? What did I have to go through with you wankers when I started dating Mithian? Hm?" 

"Wasn't Elyan," Leon points out, and Elyan is suddenly very glad he mostly keeps his mouth shut when the teasing starts. Well, except when it's Gwaine. He can't help it with Gwaine.

Speaking of whom....

"But in all seriousness," Gwaine says more quietly than he can usually manage, practically in Elyan's ear, "he took you home to meet his mum. Do you know who's met his mum? Will, 'cause he grew up there. Gwen, Morgana, and Arthur because of that time Mr Pendragon disowned his own children for a week and your sister is a soft touch. He doesn't take people home, mate."

Elyan feels the back of his neck heat up.

"She's nice," is all he can think to say, and Gwaine positively _twinkles_ at him.

"Hitched in a year," he says.

"Two," Elena says.

"Thirty quid," they say at the same time, and shake on it.

The bell on the door jingles as Arthur stumbles in, puffing frosted breath and stamping ice off his boots.

"Am I late?" he asks.

Elyan can't help it; he cracks up.

 

It's closer to three years, but Elena claims the pot anyway. Elyan and Merlin wanted to save up for a nice wedding.

They spend their honeymoon in a lovely bed & breakfast near an old castle in the French countryside. The views are picturesque, the food excellent, and the company better.

Elyan turns from the window to find Merlin lying back on the bed again, almost like he could be heading for an after lunch nap. Except one arm is over his eyes and the other hand is playing with the hem of his shirt, teasing it upward.

"In or out," Merlin whispers, fussing with the button on his trousers.

Elyan takes a deep breath, toes off his shoes, and climbs in.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a remix of Samy's "The Pact", which I loved so much when it was posted. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to remix it, because it portrayed such a complicated, realistic, and caring relationship in such a short space. Amazing. <3


End file.
